A former Honolulu police officer convicted of state tax crimes by a jury will be sentenced Jan. 9 by Circuit Judge Steven S. Alm, the Department of the Attorney General announced today.

lWilliam B. Gasper Jr. could be sentenced up to five years imprisonment and/or fined $100,000 for attempt to evade or defeat tax, a class-C felony, and up to one year imprisonment and/or fined $25,000 for his conviction of misdemeanor willful failure to file a return.

Deputy Attorney General Mark K. Miyahira, who prosecuted the case, said in a news release that Gasper was found guilty on two counts of attempt to evade or defeat tax and two counts of willful failure to file returns in 2003 and 2004. Gasper was acquitted of two similar counts related to the tax years 2001 and 2002.

Gasper attempted to evade paying state taxes by falsely claiming to be exempt on his Form HW-4, said Miyahira.